The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has slammed Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru with a six-year ban for two doping violations, including possession of prohibited substances and attempted use of a prohibited substance or method.

The AIU, in a statement on Thursday, said there was overwhelming evidence against the former world junior silver medallist to merit the ban after a thorough investigation that lasted several months.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level,” Brett Clothier, head of the AIU, said in the statement.

“The AIU is fully committed to unearthing cheats and the extent of their networks. In our quest to protect the integrity of athletics, we often work closely with other investigative organisations.

“We are grateful for the assistance from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and United States Department of Justice whose legal reach provided vital evidence which helped in this matter as well as in our case against Blessing Okagbare last year.

“There was photographic evidence of multiple prohibited substances discovered in Oduduru’s Florida apartment.

“Among evidence found were two boxes of Somatropin, Xerendip and Humatrope, which were identified as human growth hormone; a plastic bag labelled IGF LR3 – an abbreviation for synthetic Insulin Growth Factor – containing three vials, and two boxes of erythropoietin (EPO),” the AIU said.

Oduduru had been provisionally suspended on February 9 after he was linked to a doping case involving former African 100m champion, Blessing Okagbare, who was banned for 11 years for doping in 2022.

Okagbare’s case came to light after US prosecutors charged therapist, Eric Lira with supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics.

Okagbare was expelled from the Tokyo Olympics just before the women’s 100m semi-finals after it emerged she had tested positive for human growth hormone in an out-of-competition test in Slovakia before the delayed 2020 Games.

Her phone was seized by US Customs and Border Protection when she returned to the United States and a Federal Bureau of Investigation complaint set out “highly incriminating text and voice messages” with Lira after which she was banned by the AIU for the use of multiple prohibited substances and for not co-operating with the investigation.

The AIU said it found significant evidence against Oduduru, including Whatsapp messages between Okagbare and Lira that revealed Okagbare was soliciting prohibited substances on Oduduru’s behalf.